The present invention relates to the field of beverage coolers, and in particular, to a beverage cooling method and apparatus with an assembly for holding ice and water.
Commercial beverages, such as soda, juice, fruit drinks, sports drinks, water, etc., are often sold in bottles made of PET. A typical beverage aisle of a grocery store or refrigerator of a convenience store is full of a wide variety of bottled beverage products in all shapes and sizes. While most aluminum cans are sold in 12 ounce sizes, most PET bottles are sold in larger sizes, ranging from xc2xd liter to 3 liters, including the popular 20 ounce, 64 ounce and 2 liter PET sizes.
The development of larger PET bottle sizes has meant that the consumer receives more beverage per container. But the downside is that with more beverage, additional cooling is needed to keep the beverage in the bottle cool, i.e., for a longer period of time. For example, when a single serving 20 ounce bottle is purchased, more beverage means that it will take more time to finish the beverage, or that beverage will be left over. In either case, when the weather is warm, such as on a hot sunny day, or inside a hot car, exposure to high temperatures can result in the beverage becoming warm quickly without any means of keeping the beverage cold. Two liter and other larger sizes are susceptible to the same circumstances, such as during an outdoor picnic, or other function, where no refrigerator is available to keep the beverage cold.
In the past, resort has been made to using ice chests, but there are disadvantages to doing so. For example, because PET bottles are often larger than cans, larger ice chests are typically needed, in which case they can be quite cumbersome to use. Moreover, it is particularly burdensome to use an ice chest if only a single serving beverage is desired. Also, when two liter or other larger bottles are involved, it is often impractical to keep them in ice chests while the beverage is being served.
Many individuals choose to pour beverages into other containers, such as cups, mugs, sports bottles, thermal bottles, etc., with ice directly in the beverage to keep it cold. The disadvantage of this, however, is that as ice melts, the beverage becomes diluted. Also, because ice is often made with unfiltered tap water, impurities can be introduced into the beverage, which can, for instance, defeat the purpose of buying bottled water. Carbonation can also dissipate quickly as beverage is poured into another container. The containers also have to be washed after each use.
Archaic attempts have also been made, such as in the days when refrigerators were not available. For example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 81,814 and 303,815, wine bottle coolers with diaphragms and springs to hold bottles in place are shown, but these designs are neither compact, nor suitable for bottles with twist off lids, since the bottles were free to rotate. In later years, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,998,072, 4,281,520, 5,555,746 and 5,904,267, containers with various compartments, sleeves and packs filled with refrigerants that could be frozen were also developed, but these were required to be frozen and refrozen after each use, and therefore, were not widely used. Various types of insulated containers were also developed, which helped to maintain the temperature of the beverage, with no ability to make the beverage any colder.
What is needed, therefore, is a new and improved method and apparatus for keeping beverages cold, which overcomes the disadvantages of previous cooling methods and apparatuses.
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cooling beverage bottles and/or keeping beverage bottles cold. The present invention generally comprises a cooling device for containing ice and/or water adapted to have the beverage bottle positioned therein, wherein regular ice, such as from a conventional dispenser, and/or water, can be stored and sealed within the space between the container and bottle, to keep the beverage cool.
The container is preferably specifically sized and shaped so that a particular beverage bottle can be held securely inside, wherein a cap is provided to create a water-tight seal around the shoulder of the bottle, and one or more supports are provided under the bottle to provide lateral and vertical support thereto. In this respect, the bottle is preferably held in substantial compression inside the container, with the neck of the bottle extending through the cap, with the seal substantially preventing ice and/or water from leaking out. This way, ice and/or water can be maintained in direct contact with the bottle, and the beverage can be maintained at a reduced temperature, without diluting or introducing contaminants into the beverage. The beverage can also easily be poured, served and consumed without having to take the bottle out of the ice.
In the preferred embodiment, the container is preferably adapted to securely hold a particular beverage bottle, such as a PET bottle having a certain size and shape. In this embodiment, the container is preferably comprised of two sections that can be connected and sealed together, i.e., an upper cap member and a lower container member. The container member is preferably an open-top container, similar to a mug, with a handle, or grips thereon, adapted so the bottle can be inserted at least partially into the container and supported thereby. The cap member is preferably a cap-like member that can be secured and sealed onto the container member. Unlike previous caps, however, this member preferably has a central opening, with a sealing ring positioned substantially along the inside surface thereof around the opening. This way, when the beverage bottle is placed inside the container, the neck can be extended through the opening, wherein the cap member can be tightened onto the container, such that the sealing ring is pressed and sealed against the exterior of the bottle, i.e., around the shoulder of the bottle, thereby sealing the space between the bottle and container.
The container member preferably has one or more individual supports on the inside thereof to provide vertical and lateral support to the bottle. This way, when the cap member is tightened onto the container member, the bottle can be held in substantial compression between the sealing ring and supports. In one embodiment, three or more supports are extended inside the container member to provide a support system for self-centering the bottle and maintaining the bottle above the floor of the container member. Each support in such case is preferably adapted to engage a lower portion of the bottle such that the bottle can be held in a substantially fixed position. In another embodiment, a single pedestal can be provided which extends upward from the floor of the container member to engage the center indentation on the bottle. In either case, the support system preferably keeps the bottle elevated above the floor of the container member, although not necessarily so, to allow ice and/or water to be distributed below the bottle. A goal of the present invention is to substantially minimize the surface area contact between the container and bottle, on one hand, and substantially maximize the surface area contact between the ice and/or water and bottle, on the other hand.
Another aspect of the present invention is that at least one of the supports is preferably adapted to mate with a portion of the bottle to substantially prevent the bottle from rotating, which enables the lid on the beverage bottle to be easily opened and closed without the bottle rotating inside. Preventing rotation of the bottle can be accomplished by adapting at least one of the supports to mate with or engage a groove or indentation on the bottom exterior of the bottle. Where PET bottles having multiple grooves or other formations are used, at least one support is preferably adapted to fit into one of the grooves, wherein with the bottle in compression, the bottle can be prevented from rotating.
In the pedestal embodiment, the upper surface of the pedestal can be configured to conform or otherwise mate with or engage the bottom of the bottle, wherein the mating of the two surfaces, with the bottle in compression, can prevent the bottle from rotating. This can be done, for example, by adapting the upper surface of the pedestal to fit into the indentation located on the bottom of the bottle. Alternatively, the pedestal can be removable or made with a coil spring to enable bottles of different shapes and sizes to be used.
The cap and container members are preferably connected together with threads, with an overlapping interference fit, or a gasket, so that they can easily be sealed together. The cap and container members are preferably adapted so that the connection between them can be sealed at the same time that the cap is sealed against the bottle. That is, the container is preferably adapted so that the connection between the cap and container, and between the cap and bottle, occur at the same time, i.e., with the cap in the same position relative to the container.
The present invention contemplates that a lower portion of the container can be made relatively narrow, so that it can fit in conventional cup holders, such as found in cars. This portion creates additional space in which ice and/or water can be stored, such as underneath the bottle, in direct contact with the bottle. It is preferable that the supports be extended from the wall of the container, such as on or just above the narrowed portion, so that the bottle can be elevated above the floor of the container. The area of the container just above the narrowed portion can be extended radially outward, such as along a curved and/or angled surface, to enable ice to climb up the walls as the bottle is shoved into the container.
The sealing ring is preferably secured to the inside of the cap and extended around the opening so that it can be pressed against the bottle, and made of a resilient and firm material that can apply pressure against the bottle to create a waterproof seal. Although the sealing ring can be secured to the cap by any conventional means, such as adhesives, for ease of assembly, the sealing ring preferably has a flange that can extend through the opening, wherein the ring can be snapped into the cap from underneath.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the cooling device can be specifically made to accommodate a certain type of beverage container, while not accommodating other beverage containers, such as those having different sizes and shapes. PET bottles often come in a variety of different sizes and shapes, even when the same amount of beverage is contained. For example, Coke(copyright) currently uses 20 ounce bottles that have a tapered neck, whereas Pepsi(copyright) uses 20 ounce bottles that are bubble-like with swirls. A unique aspect of the present invention is that the cooling device can be made so that it allows one type of bottle to be used, i.e., a Pepsi(copyright) 20 ounce bottle, whereas other bottles, such as one made by a competitor, i.e., a Coke(copyright) 20 ounce bottle, would either not fit, or allow water to leak.
This can be done, for example, by adapting the cooling device so that the distance between the sealing ring and supports, when the cap is tightened onto the container, only allows one bottle to fit properly. Accordingly, by promoting the cooling device, and getting people to try it, one manufacturer can potentially increase sales and market share of its own bottled products because consumers will have to buy them to use the cooling device. Buying any other bottled product made by any other manufacturer would make it so that the cooling device cannot be used.